Reviewing research methods on adult migrants’ digital literacy

What insights for additional language teaching?

Abstract

This article presents a selective literature review covering the period from 2016 to 2023, focusing on research published in peer-reviewed journals, to examine the methodologies employed in investigating the digital literacy of adult migrants and refugees. Three distinct approaches emerged: digital use study, ethnography, and pedagogical experimentation and intervention. These methods offer unique perspectives and complement each other in exploring how digital literacy can empower migrants to actively engage in the evolving digital landscape and facilitate language learning. The findings from a subset of 14 studies included in this review were categorized into a digital literacy taxonomy, aiming to inform language teaching practices tailored to the needs of migrants. This research addresses the urgent need for adapting language teaching and curricula in host countries to accommodate the increasing global migration and digitalization of learning. Additionally, suggestions for future research directions are provided to gain a deeper understanding of the specific digital literacy needs of this population and enhance the linguistic skills and social inclusion of newcomers.